Ron Thornson News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Editor’s Note: Cronkite News photographer Alberto Mariani spent several months documenting the work at Peace Chapel Funeral Home. This story contains images that some may find graphic. PHOENIX – At 10 p.m. no words are spoken, but a loud buzz reverberates throughout Peace Chapel Funeral Home. It’s the rhythmic beat of an embalming machine pumping a mix of chemicals into a woman in her 50s. Standing next to the body – working late again – is funeral director Ron Thornson. Since March 2020, Thornson and his staff have routinely worked 14 to 16 hours a day, without much ...

Advertisement: “You are almost taught not to break when you are to serve a family,” he said, explaining that revealing too much could transfer more pain onto those already suffering. “A lot of people don’t understand that as a funeral service worker, you have a big task,” he added. “You are not just picking the body up, cleaning it, putting makeup on and placing it in a casket. You’re expected) to coach the family, to be a financial adviser and to be a psychologist” during one of the toughest moments in life. And in a year when de...

‘Last responders’ answer the call to bury the dead in a year of unprecedented tragedy ‘Last responders’ answer the call to bury the dead in a year of unprecedented tragedy Funeral director Ron Thornson prepares for a service at Peace Chapel Funeral Home in Phoenix. The funeral industry has been one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, but these “last responders” often are among the least recognized for providing essential services. (Photo by Alberto Mariani/Cronkite News) May 20, 2021 Editor’s Note: Cronkite News photographer Alberto Mariani spent several months documenting t...